She? Yes, she is not exactly Betty White. Nibbles is cute and funny, though. She's one of our two bunnies now nearing 100 years old. She at times appears to need a wheeled walker absolutely, with tennis balls. But instead, I've now spotted her, little rugs covering our living room to dining room floors. Not too many of them, for she would think she was close to a litter box and then there'd be a big mess.
Right now, I'm working mostly remotely. This allows for me to check on her four times a day. Too, I've made my office temporarily in our dining room.
And thank God for all that. Because I have to make certain her right leg that can no longer function as part of her hopping mechanics to get around, does not get hung up on the side of the litter box.
I have to clean her hay excursions, she cannot always control her hay poops, never mind her bladder. That's where my excessive laundry loads have headed. No big deal. I barely use the dryer. I have a drying rack after running the 3 hour Allergen pet wash load. I'm on top of my freshening up the washing machine. And thank God for "Certainty Underpads" I've placed under the towel areas.
I've developed a cycle my washing machine repair guy commended me on. I hang all soiled pet items outdoors for five to seven days, allowing rain and wind doing a pre-cleaning as only nature can do. Then I do an Allergen 3 hour wash. And hang them to dry. Few things are put in our dryer.
Today, as I witnessed my near 100 year old bunny drag her right leg, something got worse. I know who she's waiting for. You see, bunnies are smarter than you'd think. She used to cross the living floor regularly. She would then sit on the front run facing the front door, staring, as if to wait for someone. I wondered who it was she was waiting for.
I noticed, it increased as June approached or other times that were key in our lives. However, not just our lives as humans. But, in our pet's lives too. She had been waiting for our children. Currently one now in particular. One who our pets haven't heard the voice of, nor felt the touch of would be our oldest daughter. It's been since New Years when our oldest went back to college and then received an internship. And busy is beyond the word for her.
Our 100 year old bunny, Nibbles innately understands something. I've noticed Nibble's patience had grown over the last few years. She gets it. And if you the reader hadn't known this... Bunnies are extremely social. Nibble's bunny sister has been helping her clean herself over the past four months more than they'd exchanged in cleaning each other before. You know those hard to clean spots for a bunny, the top of their heads. Yes, that.
Bunny's spines are the most flexible I'd ever witnessed. To the point, their self-cleaning escapades are incredibly detailed. Yet, their spines are fragile as they pass ages five to six. As fractures from too high a leap can occur.
I count the lack of 'Happy Bunny Dances' Nibbles hasn't done since Mid-May.
So today, as I noticed her left hind leg now not supporting her as much. I said to her, "I know you're trying. Can you give me 13 more days or so? Because I know who you need to feel the touch and voice of before you part."
She then let me pick her up and cradle her. I realized I needed to check her rectal area, tail and fur surrounding it. It was clean nearly two weeks ago. Our youngest and I were stunned that it was pure white fur and spotless. When our prior experiences over the past three months haven't been that way.
Here I was again, although now doing the check solo. Yet, Nibbles now was so dossle. I scooped her up with no rigidity in her body and walked her down to our pseudo bunny surgical platform we've used for nail clipping, and checks on our Bunny's health.
I held her gently cradling her in one arm and laid a clean short bunny towel down on the platform, and grabbed a freshly cleaned bunny designed facecloth for me to clean her. It was a tad messy, as I aimed the debris into a nearby trash can. I gently took the special baby shampoo and squeezed a bit of it on the small facecloth, wetted a third of it with one hand holding Nibbles' shoulders as she now rested on.the toweled platform and the other hand squeezed and wrapped the dry part of the wet shampooed area of the towel with the other hand. I then cleared the debris from the fur to see if there were any burns from urine and the like. I gently with the now dampened facecloth cleaned her underside. I knew it wasn't perfect, but I also knew not to traumatize her too much. I'll take it moment by moment and day by day. And hopefully Nibbles will get to feel the touch of our oldest one more time.---Jody-Lynn Reicher
Comments
Post a Comment